It may come as no surprise that Britons consider France to be the most
arrogant nation in Europe, or that the Germans are almost universally judged
the most trustworthy.

But a few eyebrows will be raised by an authoritative new survey’s findings that the French agree they are the continent’s most arrogant people and that the Greeks rate themselves as the most trustworthy.

The Washington DC-based Pew Research Centre polled more than 7,600 people in eight European countries about their attitudes towards the EU, their governments and their neighbours.

The findings throw up intriguing insights into new national stereotypes in the wake of the Eurozone crisis, which has seen Germany take a leading role in imposing unpopular austerity measures on the struggling economies of southern Europe.

Everyone, including the British, agreed that the Germans were the most trustworthy people in the EU, apart from the Greeks, who awarded themselves that accolade.

The traditional antagonism between the UK and France is reflected in the survey, with Britons judging their neighbours over the Channel to be the least trustworthy and the most arrogant.

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The poll highlighted an internal conflict among the French, who considered themselves to be both the least arrogant and the most arrogant country in Europe.

All Europeans think that their own country is the most compassionate, and nearly everyone judges the Germans to be the least compassionate, although both France and Germany gave that title to Britain.

Nigel Farage, the leader of the UK Independence Party, welcomed the findings, joking: “I am delighted that the Eurocrats have failed to crush national stereotyping, which is what makes Europe a great continent.”

The Pew report – which was based on surveys carried out in Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Greece, Poland and the Czech Republic – concluded that the European Union was “the new sick man of Europe”.

The proportion of Europeans with a favourable view of the EU has plunged from 60 per cent last year to 45 per cent now.

The UK may be considered the most Eurosceptic country, but its support for the union has barely changed in the past 12 months, slipping only two points to 43 per cent.

By contrast, France’s backing for the EU has slipped dramatically, from 60 per cent last year to 41 per cent today.

On the politically charged question of whether to remain in the EU, Britons are split evenly, with 46 per cent wanting to leave the union and the same percentage wanting to stay.

The Pew report’s authors said: “The prolonged economic crisis has created centrifugal forces that are pulling European public opinion apart, separating the French from the Germans and the Germans from everyone else.”

They added: "The effort over the past half century to create a more united Europe is now the principal casualty of the euro crisis. The European project now stands in disrepute across much of Europe.”

The findings: Which is the EU nation most likely to be named...?

xViews in:

Most trustworthy

Least trustworthy

Most arrogant

Least arrogant

Most compassionate

Least compassionate

Britain

Germany

France

France

Britain

Britain

Germany

France

Germany

Greece

France

France

France

Britain

Germany

Germany

Greece/Italy

France

Germany

Germany

Britain

Italy

Germany

Italy

Germany

Spain

Italy

Germany

Spain

Germany

Italy

Germany

Spain

Spain

Germany

Greece

Greece

Germany

Germany

Greece

Greece

Germany

Poland

Germany

Germany

Germany

Poland

Poland

Germany

Czech Republic

Germany

Greece

Germany

Slovakia

Czech Republic

Germany

Source: Pew Research Centre

The only European leader rated highly by their own voters was the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who received a 74 per cent approval rating.

Prime Minister David Cameron was next highest with a positive score of 37 per cent among the British public, although he can take some comfort from the fact that 58 per cent of Poles and half of all French people think he is doing a good job.

Despite the gloomy economic outlook and growing disillusionment with the EU, there were strong majorities of more than 60 per cent in favour of keeping the Euro in the five countries polled that use the single currency.